Lone Star Menu: Tastes of Texas Now on Exhibit

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logo for exhibit with the shape of the state of Texas in blue and a label that reads Lone Star Menu Tastes of Texas on a grey background.
Lone Star Menu: Tastes of Texas exhibit on display through 2025.

Do you know the official dish of Texas? What about the official state snack? The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) presents answers to these questions and more in an appetizing new exhibit for 2025. Lone Star Menu: Tastes of Texas is now on display in the lobby of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building in downtown Austin and is free and open to the public. 

color photo of a guacamole salad with onions and tomatoes, a bowl of salsa, a basket of tortilla chips, and large mug of beer.
Chips and salsa. Texas Tourist Development Agency photographs and audiovisual materials, 1991/077-411-021.

Lone Star Menu highlights official, historic, and iconic flavors of Texas through selections from the State Archives’ extensive collections. Home to the archival records of state agencies like the Department of Agriculture, the TSLAC exhibit illustrates the important role Texas government plays in supporting and promoting homegrown producers and businesses. 

color photo of a shrimp boat out on the water with the sun behind it on the horizon.
Shrimp boat in Palacios, undated. Texas Department of Agriculture photograph collection, 2001/078-118-86-010.

From the coastal waters of the Gulf and its bustling shrimp industry to the vineyards of the high plains region, the state offers a full menu of ingredients. The exhibit displays handy pamphlets on cooking tips alongside archival documents with statistical data on fishery markets and recipes from the files of Texas’s first ladies. Cookbooks on African American cuisine, German and Czech, Tex-Mex and others demonstrate the varied backgrounds in Texas kitchens. Special dishes from the Governor’s Mansion and even the White House are also included in the exhibit. Treat yourself to a visit to the State Archives for a historical tour through the Lone Star Menu. 
 

cover of green pamphlet-style cookbook with Texas Country at the top and German and Czech Style Recipes below the title.
Texas Country German and Czech Style Recipes, 1971. Main Collection, 641.5 T312.

The Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library building lobby is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the second Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lone Star Menu: Tastes of Texas is also available online at www.tsl.texas.gov/lonestarmenu. The exhibit runs through 2025. 

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